Well recently I went out with a few buddies for a round at a local semi private course. We ended up doing the front nine twice because of the major hold up in the back. I shot my personal best thanks to the help of my skycaddie. I used it for most of my shots including my approach especially inside 100yards. The next week, I found out that the one buddy of mine got annoyed that I took too long because I used my gps too much and it screwed up his game. This is coming from a guy who never broke 90 yet, played for 10 years and I ended up breaking 90 faster than he did. I feel that he is a bit jealous and using excuses to cover up the fact that I actually beat him in his own game.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

I guess it depends on what you were doing with your GPS. Mine takes me about 2 seconds to glance at and then I'm starting my routine. I can even glance at the GPS, then take sighting with my laser, pick a club, and still get the shot off in under 30 seconds. I usually do all of the distance measuring and shot planning while I'm waiting for others to hit.

If you are taking too much time playing with the features on your GPS and changing pages, etc., then maybe he has a point. Since I wasn't there and didn't see you, I can't say, but I've known guys who spend way too much time fooling around with their toys before they're ready to hit.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

Originally Posted by Fourputt

I guess it depends on what you were doing with your GPS. Mine takes me about 2 seconds to glance at and then I'm starting my routine. I can even glance at the GPS, then take sighting with my laser, pick a club, and still get the shot off in under 30 seconds. I usually do all of the distance measuring and shot planning while I'm waiting for others to hit.

If you are taking too much time playing with the features on your GPS and changing pages, etc., then maybe he has a point. Since I wasn't there and didn't see you, I can't say, but I've known guys who spend way too much time fooling around with their toys before they're ready to hit.

Undue delay is the most common reason for so many European clubs not to allow distance measuring devices on the course. IMO that is BS but this is the argument.

Using GPS or lasers differs in no aspect from all the other routines of a player. Some are fast and some are slow, regardless of GPS. It is a question of WHEN to do things, as pointed out by Fourputt.

In order to avoid slow play I try to measure the required distance with my laser when another player is making his shot by taking the distance to the flag and then to my ball. A quick subtraction gives the distance from my ball to the flag. No time wasted.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

Curious if he asked you for distance information from the gps or if you just used it for yourself. Some guys who regularly play the same course know the yardages well, and when others play with them, they have an advantage unless someone has a laser or gps. He might have used the gps as an excuse for losing to you, as most people who had an issue with your rate of play would make a comment during the game. Was the round for money?

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

Originally Posted by mrprovisional

Well recently I went out with a few buddies for a round at a local semi private course. We ended up doing the front nine twice because of the major hold up in the back. I shot my personal best thanks to the help of my skycaddie. I used it for most of my shots including my approach especially inside 100yards. The next week, I found out that the one buddy of mine got annoyed that I took too long because I used my gps too much and it screwed up his game. This is coming from a guy who never broke 90 yet, played for 10 years and I ended up breaking 90 faster than he did. I feel that he is a bit jealous and using excuses to cover up the fact that I actually beat him in his own game.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

I use mine every round and like everyone else has mentioned as long as you aren't fidgeting and slowing down the pace then it shouldn't be a problem. Just a little bit of planning goes a long way. It takes under 5 seconds for me to get a number on my uPro when I'm picking a club. I do know, however, that when one of my friends use my uPro, he plays with it, looks at the green in real life, looks at it on the uPro, then looks at the front, middle, and back and then tries to figure out how far he hit it off the tee and does everything that's physically possible to do on the uPro before every shot and then chunks his shot and does it all over. It's a bit of a pace killer but it is what it is.

As long as you are preparing your number and shot as your playing partner is hitting then it shouldn't be a problem. Hell, it makes the game faster for me since yardages aren't a guess and I'm not looking for yard markers.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

Originally Posted by mrprovisional

The next week, I found out that the one buddy of mine got annoyed that I took too long because I used my gps too much and it screwed up his game.

I'm still befuddled by how using a GPS is anything more than a few-second activity prior to the shot. It should be fast and easy - look at the screen, read the number, and you're done. Even if you're using it to track shot yardages, every one I've seen is pretty much push one button and read the display. What ARE you doing with it that takes so long? Using it to manage your fantasy football team? Updating your Facebook account with each shot? Turning it completely off after every shot so it has to do a cold boot????

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

I feel that everyone is allowed to get an accurate yardage. Most of the time the GPS or Laser will speed this process up compared to walking it off so in my opinion it should speed the game up. I know it does mine!

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

Heres the thing fellas. The most i spend on the gps rangefinder is about 3 seconds. Maybe even less than that. My opinion is that someone like my who only played for 1 year actually beat a score that he has been trying to beat since he started playing 10 years ago. the closest he got was a 90 and thats it. So I think he was using my use of the gps as an excuse that slowed down his game eventhough every time we would go to his ball. He would ask for distance and whatever else it gives me. Before I had my skycaddie, I was alot slower because i took so long deciding on what club to use and guessing how far I was. Right before I get off the cart and as soon as we stop at my ball, I glanced for a few seconds ands thats it. I'm a "ready golf" player. If your ready to hit, go for it and just let me know.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

No, but everytime I play, I gotta try my best to play without rushing to get my shot in. I dont like being rushed, but I also dont like holding up others so I plan things ahead before i take my shot which speeds up the play more.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

I enjoy playing courses with GPS data on little screens in the carts. They give pertinent info, are easy to read and away you go. If anyone is using a handheld device (even on a course where no info is on the carts) and they take longer than it takes to use the cart GPS, I say something.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

My laser saves me time...zap, got the yardage and I don't have to walk it off...zap, I know its 110 to carry the bunker and 127 to the pin so it's a smooth pw to keep it under the hole. With that kind of information, my laser allows me to play smart and because I didn't guess it allows me to hit more greens.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

I use an app on my BB. Sometimes it is slow to load. When that happens I stuff it in my pocket and play on from markers until next hole. My biggest problem is other players without GPS asking me for their yardage. LOL

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

I have a uPro and the only time it slows me down is when I am the first to play or its not loading up quick enough and I just jam it in my pocket and figure it out manually. Sounds like your pal is just looking for excuses. Next time you play don't use it and still beat him and he won't have an excuse.

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

There is always at least two sides to a story. I am surprised everyone taking OP's side without knowing all the facts. In fact, I played with someone who had sky caddie and he did take too long for his shot. Most of the guys with sky caddie don't take too much time. But there are few that do, and yes it annoys the heck out of me too when they diddle-daddle around with their gadget.

OP should ask his buddy what in particular was so slow about OP's use of Sky Caddie. Was it that he stopped the cart at his ball and then turn on the sky caddie? Was the group falling behind the group in front? or were you guys waiting on every shot?

Re: Using my GPS annoyed others?

Either you are slow or you are keeping up - GPS time, pre-shot routines, etc., are meaningless as single data points. If you're keeping up, tell him to shove it. If you're slow for WHATEVER reason, speed up.